So Whats Wrong with a Little Competition A Defense of Competitive Goals.

Many administrators and educators have questioned the wisdom of establishing competitive goals for forensic programs. Many appear to believe that the acceptance of competitive goals necessarily leads to such abusive behavior as atheoretical teaching, the prioritizing of style over substance, the promotion of education shortcuts, and the abandonment of appropriate ethical codes. The purpose of this paper is threefold. First, it examines the role of competition in forensics. Second, it contrasts the ego and mastery approaches to competitive behavior. Third, it suggests possible steps that can be taken to promote the acceptance and accomplishment of competitive goals by individual forensics programs. (Contains 12 references.) (Author/RS)